The Nightmare Factory
by WolfWarriorQueen
Summary: My take on what happened the first time the secret scientists stormed Weird World
1. Chapter 1

Doc Saturday looked up from his map and at the dark castle that sat before them. The house of nightmares, the locals called it. The nightmare factory. Argost's mansion.

He and fifty other scientists were preparing to storm the place and get back their most valuable find: the kur stone.

He and Arthur had been going over strategies and tactics for hours now, but the real problem was getting in. How were they going to get in, and if they did, how were they going to get out?

"Beware the nightmare factory," a local had warned them when they were passing through the area. "Once in, there's no going out."

That's why he had left Drew back on the airship with Paul, half because he feared her safety, and half because she was pregnant. Drew had come with them on the expedition to dig up the kur stone, and that was fine with Doc, but now that they were storming an unknown and apparently deadly place to try and get it back, he didn't want her within a fifty mile radius of it.

All around him, scientists were gearing up and working on their weapons, preparing for the ambush. Doc's battle glove was strapped to his belt for when he'd be forced to use it, which wouldn't be very long now.

"Uh, Doc," a voice said behind him, and he turned and gasped.

Drew was making her way towards him, pushing through the crowd and making a beeline straight for her husband. She had her suit and gear on and had a look of determination in her bright blue eyes, a look that worried Doc greatly.

"Drew," Doc said, more shocked then annoyed. "Baby, what are you doing out here? Where's Paul?"

Paul was running behind her, struggling to keep up and struggling for breath.

"You let her come?" Doc demanded to Paul angrily.

Paul gasped for breath and put his hands on his knees. "She wouldn't take no for an answer. Don't blame me for not wanting to make the cranky pregnant lady even more cranky."

Doc turned to Drew, who was looking at him with persistence in her eyes.

"Sweetie, you shouldn't be out here. Go back to the airship," Doc said.

Drew crossed her arms. "I'm coming with."

"Uh-uh. Out of the question. You're going back to the airship with Paul."

Drew's eyes narrowed. "I am a part of this team, Doc. It's my responsibility as a scientist to help get back the stone."

Doc gripped her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Drew, you are _carrying _a responsibility. I am not about to put you both in danger. I wouldn't ever be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you."

Drew's gaze softened, and she reached up to touch Doc's face. "I know the risks, Doc. I know, and I know it's dangerous, not only for me, but for our family." Her gaze hardened again and she took her hand away. "But I'm coming with you. And there's nothing you can do to change my mind."

Doc opened his mouth to say something, to argue, to talk some sense into her, but he also had to realize that it was no use telling her no. Drew was persistent and stubborn, and wouldn't give up without a fight. He knew deep down inside that he wasn't going to win this argument anyways.

He looked at his wife up and down. She had cut her hair earlier that month because she stated the heat wasn't doing anything for her long platinum blonde hair and her stomach was beginning to show as she entered her sixth month of pregnancy. Doc feared the worst for her if she entered. It was no place for a woman in her condition. But the more he said no, he knew she'd just want to join even more.

His grip tightened on her shoulders and he looked her hard in the eyes. "You stay as close to me as possible. If you can't, then find a scientists and stick with them. Stay as close to the group as possible, you understand me."

Drew, not taking her gaze off of Doc, nodded.

Doc called Miranda over and said firmly, "Don't let her out of your sight," before walking back to Arthur.

Miranda took her friend's hand in hers and squeezed it. Drew squeezed back and Miranda lead her deeper into the crowd of scientists. "C'mon, dear. Let's get ready."

As Arthur discussed the plans with Doc, Doc's mind was somewhere else. He trusted Drew, and he trusted his fellow scientists, but even so he couldn't help but worry, for he knew that once they entered the nightmare factory, something was bound to go horribly wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Epsilon pressed the buzzer on his control and the iron gates surrounding to Argost's mansion exploded one by one, allowing the scientists to file inside.

Doc stopped them once they reached the front of the mansion. He looked up. Countless windows were lit inside and the entire place gave off an eerie glow. He regretted bringing Drew along immediately and looked over his shoulder to see her locking arms with Miranda.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Doc looked back at the mansion. It looked like something that came straight out of a horror movie—which didn't surprise Doc in the very least—and he wondered what sorts of horrors awaited them inside.

"What's our plan of attack?" Henry asked from behind Doc. "How are we going to get inside?"

"How about using the front door?" Drew suggested, a noticeable hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Doc put on his battle glove and the stones on the knuckles lit up. "Stay close," he ordered and moved towards the entrance. He drew back his fist and punched the front door right off its hinges. Everyone backed up a step, expecting something to pop out at them. Nothing. Weird World now awaited them, beckoning them, tempting them to take a step inside.

Doc waved his hand as an order to follow him and all fifty scientists slowly stepped into the mansion. It was dark, much darker then any of them had imagined, and the only light was the light that came from outside.

As soon as the last scientist stepped inside, a huge metal fence dropped out of nowhere and planted itself right in front of the entrance. Everyone's heads turned to look at it and a scientist naively stuck out a hand to touch it.

"No!" Doc shouted, but the scientist failed to hear him and touched it.

Waves of electricity shook his body and he fell to the ground in a horrible, electrocuted dance and fell still.

Miranda gasped and Epsilon and Doc raced over to help him up. Drew's grip tightened on Miranda's hand and she gently placed a protective hand over her stomach.

"Hey, are you alright?" Doc demanded to the scientist, who began to stir. The man coughed and then weakly gave him a thumbs up.

Suddenly, a light in the far back of the hallway caused the scientists' attention to be divided. At the end of the dark hallway stood a light that came from a slowly opening door.

Doc looked up and narrowed his eyes. He figured it would have to be a trap. What else? The entire mansion was a maze of traps.

"Follow me," he said and carefully lead the scientists down the hallway and towards the opening door.

Once they got to the door, now fully opened, Doc saw what he thought looked like a living room. Couches and chairs sat everywhere and there were lamps and coffee tables and a billboard advertising Argosts' show Weird World.

Paul whistled. "Dang, this guy sure knows how to decorate."

Doc shushed him up by giving him a short reprimand. "Enough, Paul. We need to stay on guard every second we're in here. If we're not focused, we're dead. No time for jokes, got it?"

The door suddenly slammed shut behind them, but Doc didn't dare turn around. He stood eyeing the area, taking in his surroundings. Something was going to happen…he just knew it.

"Hey, look, a sheepdog," a female scientist said with a giggle, and Doc turned to her, confused.

Sure enough, a hairy little thing was bounding around the scientists, earning smiles and small laughs from the crowd. Doc wasn't impressed, though. He kept his guard up and eyed the fluffy mass of fur until he saw the legs. They were green and scaly and hidden behind the heaping mass of hair, he saw tow beady yellow eyes stare up at the female scientist, who was bending down to pet it.

"Hey, wait—"

Doc never finished his sentence. The thing's fur suddenly became hard and spiked up and it's face emerged from the mass of "hair". It had a lizard's face and sharp teeth, which it bared at the female scientist, who drew back in fear.

The creature then reared up and shot one of it's spikes right into the female scientist's throat. She collapsed and everyone flew into a panic.

As the creature shot its spikes all across the room, the scientists all proceeded to duck behind the walls and furniture as the creature aimed at them and fired.

Doc suddenly grabbed Drew and tackled her behind an overturned sofa, careful to avoid hitting her stomach. He pressed his back to the sofa and covered Drew's head and stomach with his arms. Miranda joined them a second later and grabbed ahold of Drew while covering her own head.

"What is it, Doc?" she called over the mass of screams and roars protruding from the scientists and creature.

"I don't know," Doc answered. "That's the whole point of this. Do not trust anything!"

Suddenly, an ear splitting shriek pierced the air and Doc took a moment to look over the top of the couch to see Epsilon standing directly in front of the creature, pressing on his collar that he always wore. Sonic waved protruded from it and the creature was writhing on the ground in pain. Defeated, it slithered away and Epsilon let go of his collar.

Doc and the other scientists slowly emerged from behind their covers and Arthur managed to say shakily, "W-what was that?"

Epsilon answered with an eerie calm, "A sonic collar, Dr. Beeman, capable of paralyzing one's chosen victim. I'm surprised none of you were daring enough to use your weapons. Very disappointing indeed."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "What, are you gonna add that to our files, professor? 'Scientists too scared to use weapons on a scaly, dragon sheepdog on steroids'? Is that what you're going to put?"

"Alright, calm down, everyone," Doc said, still holding onto Drew. "We had a close call, but that's no reason to go at each other's throats. I fear this is only the beginning. I fear there will be many more horrors to come, so don't start going at each other now."

"What are we going to do about the bodies?" Miranda asked.

He looked around the room. Furniture had been ripped and shredded and there was blood splatters on almost everything. Multiple scientists had been lucky and were untouched while some had been struck and were bleeding. The naïve female scientist and an older male scientist had both been killed with wounds to the throat.

Doc sighed. He was lucky it hadn't been anyone he knew very well. "Leave them. There's no point in doing anything for them now." _And who knows? _He thought bitterly. _We might end up joining them by the end of this._

"Let's find a way out," he instructed, and looked around the room for an exit.

Two doors stood at the far end of the room. One of them had to be the exit.

The scientist who got electrocuted approached the door on the right and said aloud, "Hey, I think this might be the exit!" As soon as he grabbed the knob, he was once again electrocuted and fell to the ground.

Paul and Arthur helped him to his feet. "Man, this is not your day, is it?" Paul asked, and the guy groaned.

Doc lit up his battle glove and quickly grabbed the knob of the door on the left. Nothing happened. He turned and opened it. Another hallway.

"Everyone, get with a partner," he instructed, and chose Epsilon to travel with.

Miranda once again took Drew's hand and the others started to pair up with one another until everyone had a buddy to hold on to.

They started their trek down the hallway and it wasn't until the last group stepped out of the room and into the hallway that the door behind them slammed shut, engulfing them in darkness once more.


End file.
